of the winter; and early in the spring of 1815, he was elected as temporary Pastor in the Independent Church* in Charleston, in the room of the Rev. Dr. Hollinshead, Senior Pastor of that Church, who was at that time disabled from his labours, and whose age and infirmities forbade the expectation that he would ever be able to resume them. This seemed, therefore, to be the place designated by Providence as the scene of his permanent labours in the vineyard of the Lord; and he entered upon it with a devotion of mind and singleness of heart which ever formed prominent traits in his character. Though chosen as a temporary supply merely, he was vested with all the rights and privileges of a stated Pastor; and authorised to perform all the duties and services incident to this office.

In the autumn of this year, he experienced an alarming hemorrhage of the lungs. The discharge of blood was so profuse as to threaten immediate dissolution; and for several days his life was despaired of. He, however, experienced no recurrence of the attack; and, after a few weeks, slowly and gradually recovered, in appearance, his wonted health. He did not, however, resume his ministerial duties till sometime in the spring of 1816-and even then, his return to them was probably injudicious. For though his health was not visibly worse than it had been previously to his attack, yet, in point of fact, his constitution had sustained a shock from which it could never recover-the fatal arrow was lodged in his vitals, and its effects, though slow, and insidious, were inevitable.

At the close of this year, the death of the Rev. Dr. Hollinshead gave oocasion to a series of measures which eventuated in the separation of the Associated Churches, and

* This Church, though incorporated as one body, consisted of two branches, meeting in two distinct places of worship, and served by two associate, or colleague Pastors, who officiated in the respective Churches alternately, morning and evening.

the settlement of Mr. Forster over that branch which took the name of the Second Independent Church.

In order to the better understanding of the transactions about to be related, it may be proper to take a brief view of the progress and state of Mr. Forster's religious opinions, and of his general views with regard to ecclesiastical government and discipline.

Mr. Forster was educated a Calvinist, and in a community where any mode of faith materially differing from the formulas of the Genevan Reformer was almost unknown; and where faith, to be valuable, must have been implicit. In this situation, the leading doctrines of this system were adopted by him, as they doubtless are by most others under similar circumstances, as articles to be believed, not as principles to be discussed and investigated. It is certainly no matter of wonder that men, even of powerful and independent minds, who have been taught from the first dawning of reason to associate all personal piety with a particular form of doctrine, should come, at length, habitually to consider them as actually inseparable, and thus to contemplate this form of doctrine as equally unquestionable with the reality of religious feelings and principles themselves. That such is the view taken of this particular system by very many of those who adopt it, admits of no question. And such seems to have been the light in which the subject was viewed by Mr. Forster, previously to his entering on the Ministry, and for some time afterwards.

To examine with a fearless love of truth the foundation of those dogmas for which their votaries claim the exclusive title of Orthodoxy, made no part of the estimate he had formed of his official duty. How should it? He had grown up in the habit of considering them as first principles as axioms in the science of Religion-beyond which inquiry were useless, at least, if not pernicious. On these

doctrines he had never, according to his own statement, entertained any doubts until long after he became a Preacher.

What first awakened his attention to these topicks, and induced him to enter seriously into an examination of them, was the anxiety which he felt in behalf of an intimate friend who was a professed Unitarian. His acquaintance with this person had commenced when he was a student in Theology; and they had held occasional conversations on the subject of Religion; but never, as it would seem, entered very fully, or minutely, into the discussion of these disputed topics. Mr. Forster, of course, regarded his friend's opinions as essentially and fatally erroneous. Still he entertained a high respect for his general character, and felt a warm interest in his welfare.

After his settlement in Charleston, he determined to communicate to this friend, in writing, what he intended should be a full refutation of his errors. To enable himself the more effectually to accomplish this, he determined to consult some of the principal Unitarian writers, in order to ascertain what were the objections which it would be necessary to obviate, and the arguments which it would be incumbent on him to refute; nothing doubting of his competency to perform both the one and the other. But he had not proceeded far in this course, ere he felt his confidence shaken, and his apprehensions seriously alarmed.

What first excited his surprise, as he often remarked to the writer of this Memoir, and created some degree of doubt in his mind as to the correctness of his former impressions, in their fullest extent at least, was the evident candour, love of truth, and singleness of heart, which characterised these writers. He had been accustomed to consider them as emissaries of Satan-foes to truth-at once the votaries and the victims of fatal delusion; idolatrous of their own powers, and of undevout and unsubdued spirits.

But he found in their writings, as he acknowledged, no traces of this character. These exhibited no evidences of perverted intellect or depraved affections; but very many` of an opposite kind. He found, too, as he procceded, that they had much more to offer in behalf of their peculiar opinions, and this far more plausible too, than he had previously imagined. He was not long in coming to the conclusion that men of upright minds might differ very materially in their views of religious truth; and that pious affections might consist with the disbelief even of those doctrines which he had been in the habit of regarding as essential to the christian character. His first lesson, therefore, was a lesson of charity; and it produced a deep and lasting impression on his mind. Its influence was visible during the whole of his remaining life. He was accustomed often to look back with unmingled disapprobation on what had once been the state of his feelings on this subject, and with devout gratitude to God who had dispelled the cloud of bigotry and prejudice by which he had been enveloped.

But he had not arrived at this conclusion without many painful struggles, and many misgivings of mind. To admit that those views of religious truth with which he had identified his pious affections and devout aspirations, and to which he had attached his faith and his hopes, were other than essential; that they were questionable, and might be found erroneous, was attended with extreme uneasiness. He felt, to use his own expression, as if the ground were sinking beneath his feet; his faith and confidence were shaken, and he knew not when, or where they might again settle, on a firm and secure footing. Such were his feelings under the first influence of the new light which was let in upon his mind, that, at times, during the whole night, his eyes were unvisited by sleep. He had every inducement which worldly prudence could suggest, to desist from the inquiry, and quench the light which was

kindling within him. A change of opinions on these topics, he was well aware, would probably be followed by loss of employment in his profession, by the alienation of his friends; by misrepresentation, reproach and calumny; by persecution, in short, in every variety of shape which bigotry, since deprived of the power of the sword, so well knows how to assume. But his mind was not of a character to yield to the influence of such considerations as these. However painful the process, he felt himself compelled to go forward. He regarded the questions as of vast importance, and determined to give them a thorough and impartial examination.

Justly considering the doctrine of the Trinity as the key-stone of the popular system, he began with this. His recourse was, as it ought to be, to the Scriptures, which he read carefully and critically; availing himself, as occasion required, of such collateral assistance as his situation enabled him to procure. He proceeded with great deliberation, and with the sober and conscientious earnestness of a Iman who feels that more than life is staked on the result of his investigations. He certainly did not lightly abandon the system to which early prejudices, and powerful associations had bound him. He relinquished not a foot of ground till he felt that it was untenable. His investigation was long and laborious; but the final result of it was a full and entire conviction that the doctrine of the Trinity was not a doctrine of the Scriptures. This conviction became continually stronger and deeper the further his enquirics were extended, and the more minutely they were pursued. A full persuasion of the strict and unqualified unity of God, of the essential benignity of his character; of his paternal and impartial benevolence towards all his rational offspring-of the efficacy of sincere repentance to restore the sinner to his favour of the absolute freeness of his unpurchased compassion toward erring